I stood frozen, unable to process his words for what felt like forever.

He said I deserved to be loved.

For as long as I could remember, all the attention had always been on Claire. Even my parents said she excelled at everything, while I fell short in every way.

The worst part? My husband cherished Claire too—ignoring me and my pain completely.

No one had ever told me I deserved love.

Could it be true? Could someone genuinely care about my feelings? Could I ...